I remember the beginning of CRM technology and industry specific apps 20 years ago. In the early days on-premise technology was the only game in town. Fast-forward to 1999 and the arrival of Salesforce. Salesforce pioneered the delivery of enterprise CRM apps via the Internet, and kicked off a rare and transformative milestone in computing. With its bold cloud-based delivery model and the myriad of customer benefits it enabled, Salesforce singlehandedly changed the game forever.

Due to the advent of this new model, the shortcomings of on-premise software were exposed. Cloud solutions could be quickly deployed without large up-front capital expenditures. They provided faster time to value, and were more affordable to maintain and update as market requirements evolved. As the cloud became more prevalent, large companies eventually had to make a choice: buy industry-specific software, which was always on premise, or opt for the cloud. It was an “either-or” decision.

More recently, with mobile, big data, predictive analytics and IoT transforming companies and even whole industries, the need to move to cloud has become obvious and inevitable. New companies adopt a cloud model without thought; it’s a given for today’s digital natives. Yet many large companies still run legacy CRM systems that continue to hold them back from competing with more agile market entrants. The reasons: cloud CRM needs to be built specifically for unique business processes and workflows, and many technology leaders fear a wholesale “rip and replace” of their legacy systems.

Enter the industry cloud solution. When I founded Vlocity, I set out to build industry-specific apps for four vertical markets including communications, insurance, health insurance and public sector. We are honored to be a Salesforce Strategic Partner, and with Salesforce we are redefining the game once again. In 2016, you can have all the benefits of the cloud and deep industry-specific functionality. You no longer have to choose.

And transformation isn’t an all-or-nothing play. As business and IT leaders know, few scenarios support a complete “rip and replace” of legacy systems. But with industry-specific CRM apps and business process automation tools like Vlocity OmniScript(™), companies can take a “time-lapse-photography” approach to modernizing their CRM to the industry cloud. This enables organizations to quickly drive transformation using incremental steps that move them to the future without disruption.

In doing so, industry cloud apps open up a new world of possibility. If you’re a company like AT&T, you can streamline how you sell the “triple play” for customers’ Internet, TV, and home phone needs. If you’re a government, industry cloud health and human services apps allow you to automate many complicated forms and workflows, saving taxpayers time and money. If you’re an insurance company, industry cloud insurance software allows you to provide better service to customers and do multi-lining—and not only sell auto insurance, but other lines of insurance as well. The possibilities are endless.

So, how can your company transform and modernize your customer experience? Join us on Feb. 10 with Mike Milburn, GM & SVP, Service Cloud, Salesforce, to learn how you can move from legacy CRM to an industry cloud solution built natively on the world’s #1 CRM platform.